It's Justice, Not Revenge
by Anonymouschickadee
Summary: This is my first fanfic. It has been sitting on my computer desktop for who knows how long. It is my version of the first chapters of season 3. I am warning you now, it potrays Zuko as a very emotional person. It also ruins Azula, but I doubt anyone care.
1. Uneasy Thoughts

It's Justice, Not Revenge

Chapter 1: Uneasy Thoughts

He stared blankly into the sky. It was so vast, so incredible, yet so dark and empty, excluding the little bright dots spread throughout it. It reminded him of himself. Hosting incredible power, but empty except for his memories. If it wasn't for them, he probably wouldn't even be human.

"_Zuko my love, come out here quickly!"_ _Called Ursa from the garden. A six year old Zuko put down the scroll he was reading and quickly ran to his mothers side. "Mom, what is it?" He asked leaning close to her._

"_Look at this flower Zuko, Isn't it beautiful?" She said, pointing to a red and black Flower, the only one in the royal garden. "I don't understand." Replied little Zuko staring at the plant. "Why are we wasting our time staring at this thing?" _

_Usra stared at her son, shocked. She then replied, leaning down to his level, "because Zuko, it is beautiful and it brings us enjoyment to stare at it."_ _He sighed. "Dad says that we shouldn't waste our time in the arts, that we should only be concerned with the war and training. He says that's what really matters."_

_Ursa frowned. She was disappointed in her husband. "Yes Zuko, the war is very important, and so is your training, but that does not mean that the arts are worthless. There are many things to learn from beautiful but simple things, just like this flower."_ _Zuko stared into Ursa's eyes. "Like what?" _

"_Well, have you ever noticed that when a storm comes that all of the biggest, strongest trees break and die, but all of the flowers are unharmed?" Zuko nodded. "Well Zuko, that is because the flowers have learned to flow with the wind, to bend under the pressure, and that keeps them alive, but the trees are forceful, pushing against the wind only causing them more pressure so that they break." _

"_What's your point?" Zuko asked. "My point is that if you push yourself to much like the trees, then you will surely break, but if you learn to flow with what life gives you then you will live another day."_

_Zuko smiled at his mother, understanding her point. "It is a pretty flower."_

She always had brought out the best in him. She had been his entire world, and without her he had barley managed to make it. He missed her. It was his fault she had left, he knew it. He was the only reason she stayed, so if she left it had to be his fault. He didn't even know if she was alive anymore. Even worse, if she was in pain. Her pain was his fault. Because of this he never allowed himself to be truly happy, he needed to be punished for what he had done to her.

"I miss you... please come home."

He whispered into the wind as if she could here him. If she returned he wouldn't be angry or confused or hurt, he would be happy. He would run to her and embrace her and beg her for her forgiveness. He would do everything she asked of him, and never leave her side, less she had a chance to disappear again. Everything he did was because of the drop of hope he had that one day she would return. He needed to be here, at the palace, in the fire nation in case that she came home. He would do almost anything to make sure that he was here if she returned. What if she had come home and he hadn't been here? She would leave and disappear forever. Then there would be no hope, no real reason for living. The only other person who had ever cared about him in his entire life he had betrayed, he had done it for her.

"_I suggest you think about what you really want"_

Iroh's words echoed in his mind. "I have uncle, and I know what I want." He wanted a happy life, and he couldn't be happy until he knew what happened to her, where she was. The thought that she had returned during his banishment, and left because he wasn't there terrified him. It did so to the point of making him violently ill if he thought about it to much. He had to think about something else, a better life.

"Whatcha doing?"

A voice spoke right next to his ear, making him jump to the point of almost falling off of the roof of his room.

"What do _you_ want?" He asked angrily, recovering from his shock to stare at the annoying acrobat who had disturbed his thoughts. "Gees Zuko, I just wanted to know what you were doing." Asked Ty Lee. "Practicing being dead," he replied sarcastically "wanna try?" He smiled. "Your weird, just like Mai." She was starting to make him really angry. "Shouldn't you have left by now?" He asked. "Nope, I'm spending the night! Azula, me, and Mai are having a sleep over!" How could she be so happy to be spending time with _Azula_? "That's nice, now can you leave?" He asked. She frowned. "Fine then, but if you wake up with some strange animal in your bed tomorrow, you'll know why!" She said before cartwheeling away. "Don't tell me your going to crawl into my bed with me while I sleep!" He said as a come back only to receive a distant "ha ha very funny" in return. He sighed. Might as well as go to bed now that his entire night had been ruined by his sister's stupid friend.

* * *

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of it's characters. It's rights are owned by Nickelodeon, and some American dudes have it's copyright.

I hope that this chapter hasn't portrayed Zuko as a mamas boy. I wasn't trying to do so. I was just trying to show his dependancy on her for love and attention, which he most likely had. Everyone needs love to survive, and due to his fathers neglect, and uncle's long military absences Zuko's mother was probably the only person who had raised and loved him most of his life, so I believe it is safe to assume that he was very close to and dependent of her. That's how I explain my chapter to myself in my special little world in my head, I hope it is as satisfying to you as it is to me.

Flames will be used for roasting marshmallows, but constructive criticism is allowed.


	2. He Knew

It's Justice, Not Revenge

Chapter 2: He Knew

His eyes opened only to be forced shut again by the bright light illuminating from the candles in his room. "Will today be the day?" He wondered to himself. He knew that it would be coming soon. He had been waiting for it with mixed feelings. Fear, anger, regret, pain, satisfaction, all words to describe his thoughts on the matter. He would be happy.

Azula was a liar. She had always been one. "Restored my own honor huh? Azula, this was your worst lie yet." He whispered to himself. He knew that she really didn't care enough about him or his honor to give him a chance to redeem it. All she wanted was to use him, to use him, betray him, then kill him. Stupid girl. She had no idea what was in store for her.

"Prince Zuko?"

A voice echoed in his room, breaking his chain of thoughts. "Yes?" He asked politely, raising his upper body on his bed to face the servant. "Your father has called for you and your sister, a private audience." Zuko smiled. "I will be coming shortly." He replied. The servant nodded and left him. Today was the day.

He bowed before his father, Fire Lord Ozai. Inside he secretly smiled and quivered at the same time. "My children..." The Fire Lord began. "How has your first week home treated you?" He was pretending to care. "Quiet well father..." Azula began. "I have never been so pleased to come home, and with my loving brother at my side! I could not be happier." She smiled and turned her head to face Zuko. Stupid boy. He will soon no longer be an obstacle in her way to ultimate power.

He noticed his sisters stare. Contemplating his fate it would seem. She was in for a _BIG_ surprise. "And Prince Zuko?" His father questioned. He smiled at his dad. "I share the same feelings as my sister, I could not be happier." He lied. He was still broken. He needed to find the missing piece to put himself back together. His mother. He also needed to wipe away the stains. Azula. It would all come together soon. A part of his slightly dark schemes, ones that his sister and father thought he was incapable of making. They always thought to little of him. They underestimated their enemy, and it would be their downfall.

"That is good. I wish you both to continue your day as was planned, but tonight I have a very important meeting to attend and I want both of you to be there. A servant will come to get you when you are needed. You are now both dismissed." He said before waving his hand. A gesture that told them to leave.

"I hate you father" he thought on the inside. "You are lying to me, trying to deceive me like your precious daughter, but I will not be fooled. The whole palace will be filled with your cries of agony when you see what I will do to her." He then rose with Azula and exited to the hallway.

"I will see you later tonight." She said, smiling at her brother. "I will see your scorched flesh sprinkled across the floor, your blood flowing from your open wounds as your tears flow from your shocked eyes. I will see your soul leave your body as I make the final blow, as I kill you." She sang this song to herself, leaving her brother with a wave goodbye.

"I will see you to" he thought to himself. "I will see the shocked expression on your face when I am prepared to battle you. I will hear your screams as I make the first strike and catch you off guard. I will watch you cry when you finally get what you have always deserved, but I will not kill you. I am not a killer, I am not like you. I don't need to kill you to get what I want, no, I have something much worse and fitting in mind." He laughed on the inside, but he also cried.

"Sister, why must you force me to do this? What have I ever done to you to receive your hate and betrayal? When you were born, was I not happy to welcome you into the world? Was I not the one who praised you when you lit your first flame? Did I not brag of my great fire bending sister to anyone who would listen when you were little and advancing much quicker than normal? Did I not stay up at night and sit by your bedside when you were small, warding off ghosts and phantoms and anything else that you believed haunted the palace so that you might fall to sleep? Did I not love you as a brother should his little sister? Why do you do this to me? Was it because of my birthright, being first born and a son? I would have been happy to bee born second in line to you and the right be yours if only I could have, but I could not. Maybe it would have changed everything, but we can't help it now. Why can't you just accept what is and get on with your life? " He thought sadly to himself as he walked to the library. Opening the door, he stepped inside then sat at a table and continued looking at he scrolls that he had been searching since the day that he came home.

* * *

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of it's characters. It's rights are owned by Nickelodeon, and some American dudes have it's copyright.

Flames will be used to roast marshmallows, but constructive criticism is allowed.


	3. I Never Wanted To Hurt You

It's Justice, Not Revenge

Chapter 3: I Never Wanted To Hurt You

Finally, after hours of endless searching he found what he was looking for. He picked up the scroll and carried it to his bedroom. He needed to get packing. First, cloths. Second, money. Third, other stuff. Done. He thumped the two big bags stuffed with all his requirements on the floor. Wait! He had left something, the most important thing. He rushed over to a drawer, opened it, then searched it. There it was, her portrait. She had it drawn for him as part of his fifth birthday present, and he had always cherished it dearly. He cursed himself for months for forgetting it when he was banished, but when he came home, there it was, where he had left it. He was now ready.

He carried the bags outside, sneaking quietly past guards. They never where very good at guarding things. He made it to the stables, sat his bags on a table outside of them, then went inside to choose his ostrichhorse. A big strong black one caught his eye. Walking up to it he read the name engraved on the gate. "Black" was all it said. It's name was Black. Zuko smiled. "Well Black, would you like to join me?" He asked as he opened the gate and the ostrichhorse backed away from him. "Shhhh, shhhh, there there, good bo... er... girl" he realized that the animal was female. She calmed down when he stroked her beak. He then lead her outside and slung his luggage onto her.

He lead her to the palace, but tied her to a tree that was hidden behind one of it's many large walls. No one would notice her there, and he could get to her quickly once he needed to leave. His plans were starting to take action. What was to come last though, was the worst part of it. It was when he had to hurt the ones whom he loved, but hated at the same time. At least Iroh would be freed after all was completed. He went back inside the palace, to the garden and sat cross legged next to a turtleduck pond, meditating.

"Prince Zuko?" A voice woke him from his deep meditation. "What is it?" "Your father wants you to come to his military chambers immediately." His eyes opened. "I will be there." He rose then began walking.

"Now is the moment, the one that really counts, when fate will run wild and justice will be served" he told himself. "First, to Iroh." He ran quickly to the dungeon. It took a few minutes, considering how large the palace was. A few minutes late to any meeting was usual for him, his father would not suspect anything. He reached the dungeon.

"Who goes th... Prince Zuko, we were not expecting you today." The entrance/exit gate's guard said. "I am a Prince, I need not warn you of my coming if I do not wish it. Let me in." The guard obliged, and opened the door. Zuko entered. He ran down the many hallways, knowing his way around to Iroh's cell. He had been to visit Iroh a few times since their return to the firenation. Iroh had not spoken a single word during his visit. He only stared, emotionless.

"Uncle? I have come to free you." Iroh did not even turn around to face his nephew. Zuko paid no attention and took out the key that he had stolen from one of the guards only two days before. He opened the cell door. "Uncle, please, we must hurry. I have an ostrichhorse waiting with supplies at the southern wall. I will leave you there with her until my return, then we can ride her to the loading docks and hide on a supply boat leaving for the earthkingdom. When we reach shore, I have arranged for a friend to take us to a small cottage deep within a forest, there we can rest until we continue on with our journey."

Iroh spoke without turning to face Zuko. "You seem to have really thought this through, except for the part of me joining you. What makes you think that I have forgiven you?" Zuko expected this answer from his uncle. "Because you are a forgiving man and because I have a good reason why I betrayed you." "And what would that be?" Zuko began, "it was the only way that I could ever find out where my mother is."

Iroh turned to face Zuko. "The only records of any boats that left the firenation on the night that she disappeared were in the royal library. I had to betray you to get to the library and find the records, which I have. I even questioned the crews of all the ships, and the members of one said that they had a strange passenger hidden under a cloak walk onto their ship at night and stay until they boarded the docks at the earthkingdom, then mysteriously disappear. I know that it must have been Ursa because she was wearing a large cloak on the night that she left. I've also been searching through her many poems, looking for a special place that she wrote about that she might be. I think I've found it, a small earthkingdom village hidden deep in one of their forests that she spent some time at as a young woman and she had friends there." He paused to catch his breath. "I never wanted to hurt you. I have felt nothing but pain since I betrayed you, you have been more of a father to me than Ozai ever has, but I needed to hurt you to find her. I will never be complete until I know of my mothers fate, but believe me I would never have let your execution take place, as you can see by my freeing you now. Please, I beg your forgiveness and ask of your help in my search."

Iroh was speechless. In his heart he had hoped that Zuko had had a good reason for his betrayal and that he really wasn't as evil as his actions had shown, but he had dismissed these beliefs as unfounded hope until now. He was pleased to find out that his hope was not unfounded. Smiling he replied "you are forgiven Prince Zuko, now where did you say that ostrichhorse was?" Zuko smiled and lead his uncle towards the entrance/exit of the dungeon.

With one quick blow to his head the guard was out, and Iroh and Zuko where running quickly (but silently so as not to be seen) towards the southern wall. When they reached it, Zuko helped Iroh board the osrtichhorse. "Hurry, get on!" Iroh said. Zuko only shook his head. "No uncle, I have some unfinished business to attend to. I will come back soon." He said then turned and ran off. Iroh held a look of pride and fear for the fight he knew that his nephew would soon be engaged in. "Good luck" he whispered to himself as a small comfort.

* * *

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of it's characters. It's rights are owned by Nickelodeon, and some American dudes have it's copyright.

Flames will be used to roast marshmallows, but constructive criticism is allowed.


	4. What Lies Ahead

It's Justice, Not Revenge

Chapter 4: What Lies Ahead

"I hate them. They hurt me, they hurt Iroh, they hurt mom." He repeated over and over in his head as he hurried down the halls, to the military chambers. "And now I must hurt them." He came to the door. The back door. A secret one, put in on the chance that the firenation might be invaded and the royal family might need a quick way to sneak out and escape. He sighed, then slowly opened the door so that no one could hear him, and entered the room.

"When he enters this room, hold back nothing." Said Firelord Ozai to his favorite child. "I will not disappoint you father," Azula replied. Both of them faced the front entrance to the room, waiting for Zuko to open the door. When he did they would both simultaneously attack him, burning him badly but not killing him. He would then be helpless, injured and shocked, and Azula was to make the final blow. Killing her brother was the requirement her father had for her to prove that she would do anything for him, for what he wanted her to be. She would not let him down.

There they were, as he knew they would be. Facing the front entrance, waiting for his arrival. Waiting to kill him. He snuck up behind them, silent as the wind, and prepared to make his first strike. He threw a quick but powerful punch of fire that sent a large flame hurdling towards his target.

"AHHHHHH!" Azula heard her fathers scream, and watched as a large blast of fire threw him into the wall, smashing his head into it and knocking him unconscious. Before she could react though, a flame was already flying her way and smashed her in her stomach knocking her to the ground, but not injuring her to the point of no longer fighting. She quickly regained her equilibrium and looked upwards to face her attacker. "Zuko!" She screamed in rage.

He stared at her. "Hello Azula." He said calmly. "How are you doing?" She glared at him with hatred. "How did you know?" She hissed. "You are so predictable little sister. I knew that your love was only a mask to get what you wanted, and I knew that father would never invite me into his war room again. Do you think that I am completely oblivious to everything that goes around in here?" He smiled, he was calm and ready. She, however, was getting angry. "No matter, I will still kill you." She jumped to her feet and struck, but Zuko dodged the flame.

She ran at him at full force, holding a ball of growing blue fire to her left side before throwing it at him with all her might. He was able to reflect it, but it still threw him several feet across the room. "You are a weakling, you always were." She smiled. Now he was getting angry. "No, you have to stay calm. Completely neutral," he told himself inside of his head. "I am not weak. I have something that you will never have." He said in a strangely calm voice.

"Oh, and what would that be?" Azula questioned with a smile. Zuko was ready to explain. "I have people who love me sincerely and unconditionally. Uncle Iroh and mom both love me with all of their hearts, and nothing I could do or not achieve could ever change that. You, however, are loved only because of your abilities as a firebender. You loose those, and there will be nothing left for yo in the entire world." He paused to evaluate the look on her face. She was becoming completely enraged. "Do you think that that man over there would give a second thought about you if you lost your abilities?" He pointed to their father. "Do you think he would continue to withhold his rage from you if you could no longer meet his satisfaction? Do you think that he would not come to me and beg my forgiveness if you became powerless, and show me the honor and praise that he has shown to you your entire life?" Azula made another strike, but Zuko once again dodged her attack. "Trust me, he would not." Zuko smiled.

"I will rip your tongue out for that," Azula said and began throwing quick fire blast punches at her brother. He reflected and dodged every single one. By the time she was done she was gasping for air. Weakened, just as he suspected, she had wasted her strength to early on him because of her rage. He could now attack her with the hope of getting in a few good strikes. It was a trick she had used on him many times before, and now she was falling for it.

He began his attack with a large thrust of fire that hit Azula like a rock. She was thrown backwards into the wall, screaming in pain at her burnt hands. "YOU BASTURD! YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, but as she was screaming, Zuko was conjuring up another blow. It flew through the air like a giant bird, engulfing Azula in flames. The only thing that saved her was her ability to reflect it enough not to devour her. She however, could not stop it from giving her several bad third degree burns on her back, legs, and arms. Even a large second degree burn on the right side of her face caused the bottom of her jaw to glow red. She was bleeding badly, but would not let that prevent her from retaliating on her brother.

She rose and began building up a large lightening attack. Little did she know that Zuko was prepared for this. She moved her arm and pointed her two fingers towards him, letting the lightening fly from them through the air and strike him on his right hand. He felt it hit him and burn. He felt the power surge through his entire arm, down to his stomach, and up his left arm, out his fingers, and into the air, hitting the wall. His heart was unharmed, and the rest on him too except for bad burns on the tips of his right fingers. Azula was in complete shock. It had taken all of her energy to conjure up that strike, and now she was left helpless.

Zuko smiled, and made his strike. A fire blast hit Azula hard in the chest, and threw her back into the wall, blood flowing from the wound. She chocked on her own blood, and kept her head faced to the ground, her unraveled hair covering her face. She had been defeated, and she could not face her brother. She wanted to melt, to be invisible. She felt as if her skin was covered with the word shame imprinted on ever spot and she hated it, hated her flesh, hated herself. Was this how her brother had felt when their father had burnt him? A tear ran down her left eye. "Poor Zuko..." she whispered lightly. He did not hear her.

"Face me." He demanded. She said nothing and kept her face staring at the ground. "Face me and accept your punishment!" He said much louder. She did not react. "Fine then, keep your eyes shut, see if I care." He grabbed her by her shoulders and picked her up, then leaned her up against the wall. He turned her around, her front pressed against the wall. He then raised his fist, conjured up a flame, and smashed her in the middle of her back as hard as he could. She shrieked at the top of her voice before falling to the ground, unconscious. He knew quite well what he had done. He had broken her spine in just the right spot. An injury not bad enough to kill her, but ruin the rest of her life. After this she would no longer be able to firebend, to fight at all, or even walk. He had caused a permanent paralyzation in her lower body, and had ruined his fathers perfect glass doll.

It was his ultimate revenge. He had ruined his fathers dreams for Azula, and with his own running away any hope of having a prodigy child to inherit the throne. His father would be in absolute pain and anger everyday until the end of his life, the same pain and anger that Zuko had experienced during his banishment. He was completely justified in his actions, both his father and sister deserved their fates many times over, but he still felt a deep regret for what he had done. "It was justice, not revenge" he told himself, but he questioned whether that was true. He still loved them. Tears ran out of his one good eye as he fell to his knees and clutched his stomach. "I am so sorry! Please forgive me! I didn't want to hurt you! You left me with no choice! Please, I am so sorry!" He begged his unconscious family members. Of course, there was no reaction. He spent only a few minutes more crying, then wiped his tears away and left his father and sister.

Iroh saw the silhouette of someone coming towards him. He was ready to attack until he realized that it was Zuko. He had been victorious! But he did not seem happy. When Zuko finally reached Iroh he asked "Zuko, are you alright?" He only nodded, not staring his uncle in the eyes, and mounted the ostrichhorse.

They rode for maybe a half hour before reaching the docks and finding their ship. They boarded unnoticed, and hid bellow deck with the cargo and rats. Black was not happy to be on the ship, and it took some comforting from Iroh to keep her quiet. "I want to be alone" was all that Zuko said as he walked away from Iroh to the other end of the cargo hold. Even the smashing of the waves and distance between them could not prevent Iroh from hearing his nephews crying.

Azula woke to find that she was in her own bed, her wounds bandaged up and servants surrounding her. A man who looked like a doctor was sitting in a chair next to her. "Princess, are you awake?" He questioned. She only nodded her head. She tried to prop herself up but was unable to move her legs. The horror suddenly hit her. She could not _feel_ her legs. She jerked the covers off of them to make sure that they were still there. They were, but she could still not feel or move them. She turned her head to face the doctor a look of utter panic and confusion on her face. He frowned and began to speak. "Your brother gave you several bad burns, ones that will leave permanent scars on your body. The worst injury though, is your broken spine. He broke several vertebra, and even if they heal your spinal cord is permanently damaged. This means that your lower body will be paralyzed for the rest of your life, as well as the fact that you will never regain your full strength. This means that you will never walk or firebend again."

She could not believe this. It was all just a bad dream. "No..." She whispered. "NO!" She then screamed at the top of her voice. "NO-NO-NO-NO-NO!" She practically shrieked over and over again. She curled the part of her body she could move into a ball and cried and screamed until she fell back asleep.

Fire Lord Ozai awoke to find that he was in his bedchambers with his many servants running around the room, making sure all was well for his waking. "What has happened?!" He demanded. "Where are my children?!" A man who looked like he was a doctor began to answer his question. "My lord, your son Zuko is nowhere to be found. It is suspected that he and your brother Iroh have escaped the firenation and are currently on their way to the earthkingdom. But do not worry, a warrant is out for their return, dead or alive. Your daughter is doing fine, she will positively live." He then paused. "What is it?" Demanded Ozai.

"There was a complication to her injuries." "A complication?! What does that mean?!' "Your son has broken you daughters spine and that has resulted in a permanent paralyzation and inability to firebend." Ozai was speechless. After a few minutes of thinking though, he began again. "There is nothing that you can do to fix my daughter, she will be this way forever?" He asked. "Yes." The doctor replied. "But my son is uninjured as far as it is known? He is still able to fight and firebend?" This shocked the doctor, but he replied anyway. "Yes, as far as it is known." Ozai's next words silenced everyone in the room. "I want the warrant changed. I want my son back alive and uninjured as well as my brother. I want him welcomed back to the firenation as our beloved prince, and his honor restored once again upon his arrival."

The doctor replied after a short pause "yes my lord, but what of your daughter?" Ozai replied coldly "I do not care what is done with the girl, all I want is my son back home and ready to inherit the firenation throne." The doctor and everyone else felt a deep sense of disgust about the firelord after saying that. Were his children so worthless to him that if they were not perfect they were as good as dead? "Yes my lord." The doctor replied and excited the room.

And so the lives of every member of the firenation royal family had permanently been changed forever. Nothing was going to be as it had been ever again, and this was neither good nor bad. Fate had been killed, and for what lies ahead for the members of this family only god knows.

* * *

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of it's characters. It's rights are owned by Nickelodeon, and some American dudes have it's copyright.

You know how on the night that The Crossroads of Destiny/ The Guru episodes premiered how all of you just expected Zuko to turn good, help the Avatar, and save Ba Sing Se? Then, when the moment came, BAM! It was a trick! Zuko betrayed Iroh, helped Azula, and became public enemy #1. Well I thought that that totally sucked, so I decided to justify his actions. My fanfic is how I imagine the next episode will be, that Zuko will turn out being good and all of you Zuko fans out there will be pleased once again. Don't you just love me?

Flames will be used to roast marshmallows, but constructive criticism is allowed.


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